


Joy in Dawn and Dusk

by sorasan0000



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Age Difference, Akayona Big Bang, F/M, Future Fic, Presentation Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 12:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8532268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorasan0000/pseuds/sorasan0000
Summary: Suwon has recently given birth. After receiving a message from Yona, the ever looming anxiety she feels for the future knocks on the back her mind. As fate pulls its games and Suwon is faced with an uprising at Hiryuu Castle, her power and patience will be tested. Especially when they decide to involve her child.





	1. Chapter 1

There is a saying in the Sky Tribe that when a new heir is born, a special star is born in the skies to watch over them for all their days. Suwon, in the early morning hours of the day, wondered if the same held true for heirs that technically weren’t truly lawful, like the child she currently held in her arms. Did a new star burst into existence for this little one and did anyone notice?

Suwon’s hair shone in the light of the dawn spilling over the mountains. She sat just far enough from the window to prevent any onlookers from below. She had been told that it was wiser to keep away from windows, but she considered letting the bundle in her arms experience the dawn as often as possible her top priority, even when the child’s eyes were shut in slumber. It was her secret wish for every person to take time out of their day to experience the surreal beauty of dawn, and if she was to do it alone then she would.

Closing her eyes, the sovereign stretched her neck and let her head rest back on the chair, wincing as she felt and heard loud cracks break from her tense, worn neck and shoulders. She couldn’t recall how long she had been in the position of looking at the child. How long she had listened to the fleeting gasps and squeaks that all newborns made. How often she had stroked the soft cheeks, which seemed to elicit a rolling, squirming response once or twice. At times she wanted to wake the little one, to see her dark gray eyes looking straight at her through the dark that was illuminated only by a single orange flame of a candle. Now that dawn had broken, those same gray eyes now had the chance to meet eyes as blue as the clear sky reflected in the clearest of lakes.

As the sunlight crept into the room little by little, Suwon observed the color of the clouds accompanying the sun in beautiful symphony. A hue of scarlet and lavender welcomed the blinding rays as they greeted the rich land and promised another beautiful day. A light, cool breeze passed through and welcomed the child to another fascinating day of life, though not a single sign of recognition came from the small bundle.

She heard the sound of gradual footsteps arriving in front of the door, followed by a quiet knock and soft address from one of the guards outside.

“Your Majesty, a message from Suiko has arrived. Also, the wet nurse is here.” The second part was nervously stated, as if the idea of an infant in the sovereign’s chambers was still hard to wrap around everyone’s minds. Suwon had insisted upon looking after the child at night, and it seemed to be an unusual concept for people to grasp.

Heaving herself from the comfort of the feather-padded seat, Suwon glided across the wooden floor and unlocked the door. She managed a faint grin through her fatigue, which caused the guards to grimace.

“Do I look that horrible?” she pouted.

“No, of course not, Your Majesty,“ the wet nurse stuttered as she stretched her arms out to take the baby from Suwon’s hands. The nervous nurse stepped on the foot of the guard nearest her, causing him to stand taller with his chin upward and chest puffed out.

Suwon waved off the conversation and mimicked the man after she gave the child to the woman. She straightened her robes, placed her arms straight on each side, took a deep breath, and shot a strong and determined look at her subjects.

“Allow me to straighten myself out and I will get this day started.”

The woman interjected immediately. “Your Majesty, please pardon me for my insolence, but this is the fourth night you’ve gone without adequate rest. I implore you to leave the princess in my care for the next couple of nights.”

Suwon shook her head and let her broad shoulders relax. She winked at the woman before backing out and turning around, shutting the door softly behind her. She heard an exasperated sigh and the pitter patter of her departure, overhearing her comments to the guard as they walked on.

“I really do hope he’s getting enough rest. It must be hard, raising a child without its mother around. I hope he’s had proper time to grieve…”

—————————————————–

Suwon hurriedly marched toward the throne room. When she heard a message had come from Suiko, she expected something on paper, but no— it was a messenger. To hear what had to be delivered, she needed to go directly to them. To deliver their location as none other than the throne room itself was one daring move. Daring, and she expected nothing less of Representative Lady Lili.

Suwon straightened herself and wiped the sweat from her forehead, catching her breath from her swift walk. Lady Lili didn’t usually mind what Suwon looked like, but after the excruciating stress Suwon had gone through for the past month, she felt she needed to feel comfortable if only for herself. Exhaling calmly, she creaked the doors open with haste, causing the younger woman to turn around quickly. Her jet-black hair swayed against her shoulders.

“Greetings, Your Majesty Suwon,” she said with a ringing, dignified voice.

“Greetings to you too, Representative. How are the Water Tribe’s state of affairs?” Suwon asked, crossing her hands.

“Trade with the Qi Province is slowly opening, but there are still many restrictions,” Lili explained as she took it upon herself to sit in the spot at the negotiation table reserved for her father.

Suwon stood in the same position she did at every Five Tribe Meeting, only she continued keeping her hands crossed and her shoulders at rest. “What of Gaya?” she inquired.

Lili placed her entwined hands upon the table. Gaya was still a sensitive subject, but the young woman bit her tongue and puffed her chest out, raising her chin higher and narrowing her eyes. “Trade with the Gaya Province is still strictly prohibited until they surrender Hiyou’s ring of associates.”

Lili’s strict protection of the ports was a part of her that Suwon expected nothing less of. Representative Lili started out with privileged beginnings. A noble young woman who sensed the disturbances in her homeland, she soon took it upon herself to move where her father could not. Her bravery was shared and served as inspiration for her father, and her continued work within her territory were enough for Suwon to dub her an official representative for the general.

Lady Lili wouldn’t have come for chit-chat. Surely, there had to be something else, since the courageous woman wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.  So Suwon clapped her hands once as soon as trading deals with the now newly formed autonomous regions of South Kai were discussed.

“Are there any contracts among the merchants you can’t handle then?”

Lady Lili shook her head and bit the end of her thumb. “None that I’ve come across, anyway.”

Suwon nodded and hummed in curiosity. “Are there any civil problems within your territory you need advice for?”

Lady Lili’s expression puckered as she shook her head again. Her graceful fingers, once entwined, were fidgeting and tackling amongst themselves. She looked down at the table, to her right, up at the ceiling, and then hesitantly at her sovereign.

“…ulations.”

Suwon’s shoulders perked up as she tilted her head. “Come again, Representative?”

“Congratulations on the safe birth of the princess,” she whispered.

Suwon could feel her robes nearly slide off her shoulders as she relaxed a little too quickly. She halfheartedly chuckled as she fixed herself upright again. Now that what seemed to be on Lady Lili’s mind was safely out in the open, Suwon began going through a mental list of tasks to do before noon.

“So how did it happen?” Lili bluntly asked.

Suwon’s thoughts were interrupted with the question and she gave her a questioning look.

“Is it possible you don’t know the birthing ritual, Miss Lili? They have you hold onto ropes hanging from the ceiling and then--”

Lili grunted and folded her arms with a scowl. Suwon knew she hadn’t mean that. Of course she hadn’t. What Lili was getting at was how everything came to a head like this, though the thought of explaining it embarrassed Suwon beyond hope.

“This is one of the country’s biggest secrets right now, Your Majesty. I’ve heard the ‘official story’, you know.” Lili pressed on, grandiosely going on and on about forbidden love between the king and a common girl, how the only love of his life had tragically perished in childbirth and had left the new father all alone to look after the child and mourn the death of his love. By the end of it all, Suwon had her face in her hands, in near tears from pure embarrassment.

“Yes, that is the official story going around, huh?” Suwon nervously laughed.

Lili’s hand pounded on the table before she continued, being careful to keep her astonishment to a murmur. “So, really, how did it happen?”

Suwon let out a sigh and glanced away, reeling through her decision of whether to divulge what could one day put her and everyone involved at risk. Glancing back at the younger woman who patiently but expectantly awaited a story, she leaned in and began.

“It was just once. When nurses and maidens say that’s all it takes, they’re not joking. Just once out of curiosity,” she paused, “just to know. I assumed it couldn’t happen to me. I didn’t bleed every month and my mother told me more than enough times that I probably couldn’t get pregnant, so it never…”

Suwon’s face flushed and she had to look away again. Remembering that night, vivid as it was, made her heart throb with a mix of embarrassment and bittersweet longing. She had wanted to know. What was this thing people called “intimacy”, where it wasn’t enough for them to simply be in each other’s company, but to grab for the other, long for their touch, to wrap themselves around each other, and spend the night away? Certainly after trying it out for herself, she couldn’t see the overhyped appeal of the sexual aspects of it and couldn’t imagine doing it very often, but she certainly felt something deeper emotionally when they were simply close physically.

Lili hummed and unfolded her arms, leaning in close to the table’s surface. She glanced upward at Suwon and asked, “Who is it?”

“Pardon?”

“Who is the actual father?” Lili blurted quickly.

***********

_“You’re pregnant?”_

_Suwon stood in tense silence after breaking it to him. This was not what she had planned. However, it was a reality. She figured she had to be six months along if her calculations were correct, though she did not look remotely that far along. For that matter, she didn’t look pregnant at all, save for a bump that even her physician said couldn’t have indicated six months already. With all this, she feared that her Sky general wouldn’t take her word on this seriously. Part of her couldn’t believe it herself. However, the general didn’t say a word after that. He simply walked away, leaving her behind with her thoughts, and neither of them exchanged words for a week._

_Suwon knew she had messed things up for herself in the past when it came to personal relationships. There was a time when even she and Judo barely made it, but that was before the current state of their relationship. What was Judo planning, now that he knew he would be the father of a royal heir born out of wedlock when the fact that Suwon was even a woman was still top secret? She was the king of Kouka, so she had to take responsibility for it. Still, this was difficult all by herself. For the first time in a while, she felt at a near emotional peak and needed to get out. Where could she go? Where on earth—_

_“Your Majesty!”_

_Suwon almost screamed, covering her mouth to keep her surprise contained as Judo seemed to appear from around the corner out of nowhere. He carried a large brown wooden box with stacks of books piled on top of it. She took one off the top and read the cover._

_“Nutrition?”_

_Taking the next one, she read aloud the next one. “Birthing Techniques?”_

_Taking the entire pile off, she flipped through the contents as Judo carefully set the box down and unlocked it. Peering away from the book she had in hand, she saw dozens of little packages and containers filled with nuts, berries, herbal mixes, and even a few exotic-looking dry fruits. He took one of each in his hands, dropping two before standing up and facing her._

_“Eat these on a daily basis. Don’t eat anything that has webbed feet, like ducks or frogs. If something falls onto the ground or falls apart, throw it away immediately. When—“_

_Suwon held her hands up, calling for him to cease and breath, which he did. A genuine smile spread across her face as she flipped through the current book in her hands. It was about caring for the body for the first year after birth. For sure, something she would keep in hand. As soon as she reached the section about preparing for a second birth, she closed the book._

_She looked into the dark eyes of her clearly exhausted general. His hair unkempt, his eyes drooping from lack of sleep, and whiskers getting long enough to start forming a mustache soon, it was clear he had spent nothing but devoted time to conjure everything she saw there._

_“How much did this all cost?”_

_“With the imported fruit, about 20,000 rin.”_

_“I can eat locally, too. It’s really…” she trailed off as she shook it off and let the warm feeling within her spread. This was why they couldn’t meet since the reveal. She couldn’t help but feel guilty that she had let him go through this alone, but she also felt disappointed that he hadn’t come to her earlier. Shame on him for making her emotionally grovel until she felt she had to leave._

_“Thank you, General Judo.”_

_As a guard happened to pass, Suwon asked him to carry the box to the kitchen storage and then tugged at Judo’s sleeve, ushering him to follow her to a room where they could properly talk. There, they each got everything out in the open. It was true that she didn’t look six months along, but there would come a time within the next three months that it would definitely start to show, and it remained a concern for both of them. Suwon was confident she could pull off hiding it, even if she had to put on an extra couple of layers. Judo was doubtful she could do it safely as the warmer months rolled in, but Suwon was an expert improviser._

*******

As Suwon saw Lili off after discussing nearly everything Lili wanted, she could see the energy drained from Lili’s face. She knew she had put Lili under heaps of pressure ever since she found out about her circumstances, but there simply was no letting up with the secrets and conspiracies. Lili shook her head as she turned the corner and leaped out ahead.

“There is one last thing I think I should mention,” she said sternly.

Suwon gladly gave her the gesture to go on.

Lili pulled Suwon close, leaning up toward her ear. Anyone within the vicinity would see a dejected potential future queen trying a desperate hand, but this was something Lili had to risk the perception for.

“Yona has a message for you,” she whispered.

The air swept over from a warm calmness to frozen stillness as the name rang in Suwon’s ears. Her vision became fixed on the bleak walls on the other side of the hall. The warmth in her chest left her and was replaced with a feeling of an empty, cold breeze. She hardly noticed she had stopped breathing until she found herself quietly gasping for air.

She coughed and regained hold of her senses, though her chest still felt like a brick had settled down right inside of it. She was appreciative of Lili, who had simply stood by and waited for her response all the while with an indifferent stare that was steadily forming into an icy, blue glare.

“Go on,” Suwon said once her throat eased.

Lili slipped a luxuriously packaged scroll from her luggage and placed it in Suwon’s hands. She slipped it from its casing and unraveled it, scanning the document before working up the nerve to read it.

 

_To Suwon_

_There is a disturbance near Awa that I think you should be aware of, if you aren’t already. Nobles from South Kai are taking advantage of the lack of an overlord here to fill in the presence Kumji left behind. Locals are strong in resistance, but it’s possible something similar to Sensui could happen again. It’s possible you’ve already made arrangements to handle this by the time you get this, but I won’t take any chances._

_There are small towns along the border between the Earth and Fire Tribes that have fatal drug addiction problems. It doesn’t look like nadai, so my group is currently investigating any other drugs that could have been smuggled into the country. Lili and Tae-Jun are currently keeping us up to date, in case you haven’t heard._

_I am aware that you have given birth and are on the road to recovery. However, as I said before, if I find your reign to be a hindrance to the people of Kouka, I will be more than glad to put an end to it. For your child’s sake, be careful._

 

Suwon lowered the parchment and rolled it back up gently, slipping it back into its protective case. The heat from her ears and cheeks was enough to desire more than anything to turn around and face away, to hide her shaken composure and shatter it like glass across the hard, cold ground. Concealing her uneasiness within, her expression turned stoic and her indifferent gaze slipped upon Lili.

“Don’t look at me like that. I asked her if she needed ‘proofreading’ and she brushed it off.”

Suwon croaked a sigh, knowing any mask she tried to put on in front of her would immediately be called out. Lili knew who she truly was and was not about to let her pull a fast one over her head.

The feisty young woman brushed the hair draped across her shoulder to her back, clenched her fists, and placed them on her hips as she strolled past Suwon and toward the exit. “Now,” her voice rang, “where’s your kid? I got a gift to give before I go.”

————————————————

As another day drew to a close, with the red hue of sunset marking another peaceful night, Suwon took her infant from the handmaidens’ care and set to retire to her chambers. The servants were insistent on taking care of the child for the night, but Suwon very skillfully shook them off by assuring them she would get proper rest this time.

Of course, it was easier said than done. By the time she got dressed for the night and settled down, her mind remained restless.

As her little one whimpered and quietly wailed, Suwon placed her across her chest and began patting, lulling the child to sleep so she could try getting the much needed rest everyone had been suggesting since the day after the princess was born.

_For your child’s sake, be careful._

It was a message as clear as glass. She knew Yona would do it, too. Those furious flames burning in her soul would not turn a blind eye to any wrong moves she made. Like an everlasting arrow pointed at her skull, Yona would charge at the slightest sign of decay and shoot.

Her contemplation was severed by the echoing sound of heavy footsteps marching down the hall. They quickened in their pace as they drew closer and closer, and Suwon knew exactly from the depth of the echo and pace that her general had returned.

Her turquoise eyes gleamed in the candle-lit dark and she gracefully glided to the doors awaiting his arrival. She held the child closer as she leaned her ear toward the door, overhearing the conversation between him and the guards. The flustered initial refusal to let him through elicited a strained laugh from her end, prompting the air to be filled with sudden silence. She couldn’t hold it anymore and cracked the entrance open.

The first sight she saw was General Judo, furrowing his eyebrows and carving eternal wrinkles in his forehead again. He softened his look once she completely opened the door and offered her hand. She nodded to the two flustered guards, which prompted them to return to a default guarding position. Gliding her long fingers across the palm of his hand, Suwon gestured for the general to accompany her. As she pulled him in, she gave one last wink to one of the guards and thanked them for a job well done.

Securing the door behind him, Judo flicked the last lock before cupping his empress’ face, asking her if she was feeling well. Her warm, smooth skin against his rough, cold calloused hands lit a fire within her heart. Inhaling and letting herself lean against him, it seemed nothing could disturb their anticipated reunion after the weeks he had been away.

_“N-gyah!”_

Both jerked their heads down toward the small bundle still wrapped against Suwon’s chest. She squirmed and grunted, scrunching her face before settling down again. Soft breathing filled the air as the two of them cautiously tiptoed to where her crib was placed

“Is it soft enough for her?” Judo flatly inquired.

Suwon nodded, lifting her pointer finger across her lips to cue silence.

There Suwon laid her, surrounding her in the softest, most fluffy fabrics the castle had to offer. However, Judo shook his head and took most of the cushioning away, quietly assuring her that she only needed a little. Suwon pinched his nose and took the blankets back, placing them against the crib’s fabric walls and putting her hands proudly on her hips.

Judo rolled his eyes and quietly walked toward the wardrobe. He untied his dark blue mantle and took off his black boots, hastily stretching his toes as he felt the freedom it brought. As he finished shedding his outer layers, he turned and fixed his intense gaze upon Suwon. The fire within him vibrantly reached the corners of her heart as she sprawled herself across the bed, inviting him to lie beside her.

As he walked over and leaned in next to her, he could see the protruding circles under her eyes, her thin wrists—much thinner than before—and the reflection of work and fatigue clouding over her eyes. He sighed and pulled a large blanket over the both of them. He tugged her closer, running his hand through her soft locks.

She realized what his answer was and was decidedly eager to follow the same decision. It looked like her general hadn’t had a wink of sleep in days himself, and she felt like her head would tip over. Letting herself relax against him in the warmth of the blanket, she could feel his heartbeat as her hands casually rested against his chest. She smiled and scooted up until she was looking into his tired, dark gray eyes.

“Good night,” she whispered.

Judo nodded and grunted before closing his eyes and folding his arms against his own chest. Suwon felt her eyes no longer obeying her in staying open. Thus, she completely relaxed and felt herself drift away in slumber quicker than she had in a long, long time.


	2. Chapter 2

The heat of summer was soon overcome by the cool welcoming of autumn, and the morning rays of the sun illuminated the orange and red mountain sides. As castle servants came and went, Suwon greeted each that passed her by and then took note of the scenery. She nudged Judo in the chest, pointing at all the splendor before them. He pretended not to seem intrigued, but she had caught him looking upon it the other morning.

“Lord Geun-Tae, I found her, I found her!”

A familiar soft-pitched voice caught Suwon’s ear and she ran to the railing to see if it was indeed Yuno. As soon as she confirmed it was her long-time tea buddy, she began making her way to the bottom floor, all while ignoring the annoyed grunt of her general.

“So cute! I have the perfect idea for an outfit! Can you say ‘Auntie Yuno’? Remember my name, Princess. ‘Lady Yu—‘”

“Don’t be so clumsy with her! She’s only 4 months old!”

The lady of the Earth Tribe gave her lord husband a pout as she straightened her posture and held the princess against her chest. How could anyone blame her for reacting with joy and wonder around the adorable royal child, especially when it was their first meeting? “You want to hold her too, don’t you? Come on!”

“You have permission to do so, General Geun-Tae!” Suwon shouted from the base of the hallway, visibly catching her breath.

“The hell he does!” followed Judo in opposition.

“Now, now, General Judo…” Suwon trailed off.

The fierce, brave general of the Earth Tribe had been waiting for this day for years. While Geun-Tae was nervous about hurting the child at first, Judo’s shout in protest was just enough to get him to take the child. He grinned and inserted his finger into the princess’ tiny grip, all the while giving Judo a look of victory. No matter how many years passed, he would always find a new way to taunt the younger stubborn man.

Yuno, growing impatient for another chance to cuddle the child, took the princess back and began walking toward the graceful sovereign of the land and the Sky General. King Suwon had a calm and content profile, as per usual, and the Sky General, well, the same old permanent scowl. Would the princess grow to have that soft serious look then? Would she look more like one over the other? Yuno could only imagine.

“Your Majesty,” General Geun-Tae postured and placed his hands together for a bow, “it’s an honor to finally be in your and the princess’ presences. I apologize. Yuno sought her out before we could even find an audience with you.”

Suwon smiled brightly and told him to think nothing of it, as Yuno was someone Suwon trusted and was relieved that of all castle outsiders to seek the child, it was her. With an overseer review approaching, a biannual review of all the lords of major towns in Kouka to decide which ones were doing their jobs and which ones were not, security had been ramped up. Even though Suwon was confident in the department’s abilities, it was still nerve-wracking to have so many guests on the invitation list. Five years had passed since her coronation, and those who profited under the previous rule had grown all the more nostalgic. Sometimes she wondered if her predecessor had felt the same at times.

“Your Majesty?”

Suwon turned to acknowledge the older woman who held her daughter with attention and care, and suddenly an idea came to her mind. She turned to Geun-Tae and posed question after question about the state of Chi’shin, the small conflicts on the outskirts of the Earth territory, and the state of Kin relations. Though there were things to work on, it seemed to Suwon that Geun-Tae was getting better as handling internal problems. That pleased Suwon as the idea became more formed.

“Anyway, Your Majesty…Judo…” Geun-Tae began, “do you two have any plans on, um…”

Suwon and Judo looked at each other before turning to Geun-Tae, waiting for him to finish his thought.

“Well, please don’t take this as an invasion of privacy. It’s not what I mean to do, but,” Geun-Tae hesitated as he tried to find the right way to say it. When he saw Suwon’s eyebrows rise in confusion, he turned around and began scratching his head.

Yuno chuckled and snuck her way into the conversation. “He’s wondering if you two plan on having another child.”

Geun-Tae twitched and curled his fingers as he went in to grab her head and shake it lightly, but she lifted the princess in her arms, which reminded him whose presence he was in and he composed himself.  

Suwon’s lips slanted as she glanced at Judo, who gave her a similar look as the one she was giving him, and then back at the other two. “Isn’t one heir enough?” she asked in curiosity.

“I know this whole affair is still a top secret thing, and four years ago I would have been advocating for you to resign from the position of sovereign-“

Suwon twitched and immediately told him to get on with what he was trying to imply.

“…Yes. Isn’t it wiser to have more than one child when it comes to royalty? Just in case something were to happen to the princess?”

Suwon recalled the conflicts in the past that involved royal siblings. Considering her father and uncle, Hotsuma and Kushibi of Sei, and the princesses of Xing, was it truly a wise thing? Suwon shook her head.

“Also, Geun-Tae continued, “if anything happens to either of you, the princess will be that much more alone, too. I don’t know. I don’t know where I’m going with that,” Geun-Tae said as his face began flushing.

Suwon brushed her bangs out of her face as the wind swept through the grounds. She took hold of her idea from before and put it forth. “If anything bad happens to General Judo and I, you two will be there, of course.”

Yuno cuddled the princess, telling her to call her “Mama”. Geun-Tae rolled his eyes, though with a hint of acceptance and submission. He winced as he heard a small whimper escape the princess’ mouth.  Yuno gave her to Suwon, who turned back into the hall after bidding them farewell. Yuno waved good-bye with a content look and tugged at Geun-Tae’s sleeve, a sign she was ready to go.

“Hold on, you two.”

Before they could take a step further in their departure, they turned to Judo. Hesitant to talk at first, Geun-Tae had to smack his shoulder before he spoke clearly.

“I think that was a serious suggestion. Should anything happen,” he paused, “please take care of her. No matter how old she is.”

Geun-Tae raised an eyebrow, wondering what had caused his long-time friend to become so solemn and serious. Just as he was about to break the atmosphere by joking about Judo’s capabilities to raise kids, Yuno reached out her hand and placed it on Judo’s arm.

“Yes, of course.  Should anything happen, we’ll be right there waiting for her.”

Judo sighed and thanked her, glaring at Geun-Tae as he turned to take his own leave. Geun-Tae could only scratch his head and wonder what kind of atmosphere surrounded them. There was this feeling of hidden emotion and an itching suspicion that there was something he was missing.

“Yuno, is something bad going to happen to those two that you’re aware of?”

Yuno shook her head in denial. All she knew was that anything could happen in this world, and even with good intentions, certain actions simply could not escape the attention of the heavens above.

****

As the sunlight left the corridors of Suwon’s private halls and candles lit her way, she stretched and opened the door to her room. She went through a mental check list, which included creating a schedule of interviews with new lord prospects, making sure the feast arrangements were all in order, making sure nobody had taken funds from accounts they were not supposed to, and setting aside time to overlook any paperwork that arrived during the next three days.

On top of that, she had to make arrangements for the care of the princess. Assigning a team of caregivers was simple enough. With Judo at the head of appointing the guards who were to be assigned to those caregivers, she felt she had nothing worry about.

Before she could finish her checklist, she spotted a shadow standing in the light of the window and gasped, instinctively grabbing for a sword at her side that wasn’t there. She stilled her breath as she tried to make out who it was, seeing as the figure had neither tried to lunge nor get away.

“Miss King, it’s Zeno, ssshhh!”

Suwon gasped again, recognizing the voice and the name. She relaxed, straightening her robes and addressing him. “Ouryuu, to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you so suddenly,” she paused, “in my own chambers?”

Zeno leaned back against the window sill and began slowly moving his left leg up and down, off the floor and up. “Zeno comes every now and then to check up on new heirs. Zeno was disappointed that the baby wasn’t here, though. How’re things going?”

Suwon took a few seconds before answering that things were fine. She began fidgeting, becoming nervous that if Ouryuu was around, the others were around somewhere, too.

“Oh, don’t be on such high alert. Zeno came alone. The Miss and the others are, hm…” he trailed off as he closed his eyes and then took a deep breath. “They’re now wandering somewhere in the middle of the Wind Tribe.”

Suwon sighed in relief and walked over to the window to join him. She peered up at the blue moon that lit the night air and then glanced sideways at the golden-haired boy. His peaceful demeanor calmed her previous worries and she felt herself let her guard down.

“What’s the princess’ name again?”

Suwon was quick to answer.

“Kaya. Her Royal Highness, Princess Kaya.”

Zeno murmured something that Suwon couldn’t catch, but she could tell from the look in his eyes that he was filled with joy. He smiled, closed his eyes, and stopped bobbing his leg up and down. “What made you come up with an old-sounding name like that?” he chirped in.

“It came in a dream. She told me that was her name.”

“…It’s the most beautiful name in the world.” The boy’s voice cracked, and Suwon could only stare in wonder. What could have made him so emotional?

“You take good care of her, you hear?”

With a serious look in his gleaming eyes, Suwon was carried away with his emotion and assured him she was in the best of care.

_For the sake of your child, be careful._

Those words from the letter echoed in her mind once again. They would remain with her for the rest of the night, long after Zeno had taken his leave.

***

The third and final day of the overseer review was drawing to a close, and Judo stood on standby on the sidelines as Suwon made casual talk with the familiar guests on the main floor. Over the years, he had seen overlords come and go as they passed or failed their reviews. Some for the better, and some that even he regretted to see go, he admitted. The latest round of reviews had booted the old lord of one of the Wind’s largest port cities and introduced a fresh, new merchant. In all honesty, he gave the man two years before being overthrown by the people themselves.

“General Judo, I have a report,” Mu-Ah spoke as he presented himself, and to Judo’s surprise, with Gyoku accompanying him. While Mu-Ah had been assigned to general security duty, Gyoku had been assigned specifically to half of the caregivers of the princess that day. Seeing him there must have meant he was off duty and she was safe at the moment.

“Sir,” Gyoku began, “an infant from the staff nursery has gone missing. We’re currently checking to see if it’s of any concern.”

Judo’s temples began pulsating. He took several deep breaths, putting the other two on edge more than it set their minds at ease. There were times when the two subordinates preferred Judo’s outbursts because when he took his time to think like this, it meant the situation was far more serious than they preferred. Having an infant princess to protect truly put things on a whole other level of alertness. It was the likes of which neither of them had seen.

“Where is the princess, Gyoku?” Judo asked sternly.

“She is with the head palace nurse. Once the report came that an infant was missing, they were both taken to a more secure location.”

As Judo absorbed the information, he peered around the cultural hall and spotted his empress. Exhausted as she looked, she was doing her best with entertaining the guests and offhandedly gathering intel on anything suspicious she heard while mingling. Now wasn’t the time to interrupt her with news. If he could avoid it, he wanted her to remain unstressed by the situation completely. Watching her laughing and trying to enjoy her time softened his rigid heart and he turned heel to leave.

His departure caught Suwon’s eye. However, she was knee deep in a conversation that she simply couldn’t leave. The fairly new lord of Shisen had proposed a new trade post with the Gaya Province, and she remembered that Lili had opposed the idea. She knew an internal problem was bound to erupt from this. The more she knew about the way this lord went about his business, the more she would be able to help Lili later if she came for royal assistance.

“Well, enough with the boring stuff, am I right, Your Majesty? How is the princess’ health?” The lord had changed the subject in a flash, much to Suwon’s chagrin.

She could sense how the question piqued the interest of others, as the questions started rolling in one after the other. Everything from the princess’ favorite toys to prospects of future betrothal hit her in waves. Just as Suwon was beginning to think things were going off the rails, the lord of a Fire Tribe ocean port city dragged her to the side and posed an unexpected question.

“Should the reincarnation of King Hiryuu also have a child, will that child be second in line?”

Suwon felt the blood in her veins freeze. She locked eyes with the older, greasy-haired man, whose lips were carved into a soft sneer. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and no sooner had she turned around had a cloaked man with a dagger lunged at her. Moving quickly, she caught the blade with both of her hands, yanking the dagger sharply from the man’s grip. She winced as her fingers stung with the fresh cut.

As the crowd dispersed and the guards closed in, the cloaked man made a sprint for one of the windows, only to be stopped in his tracks by an arrow to the back. The man was dragged by two guards and presented before Suwon, to which she took the immediate chance to get a good look at his face. The man had several facial injuries, all placed on the left side of his face. From the looks of it, they were freshly made. Could he have tried this before and failed to get past the security gates?

“Who are you?” she asked with every fiber of patience she had.

“Faithful servant of the most true king, King Hiryuu! Long live King Hiryuu! Long live the most high!”

His cries echoed through the hall amidst the panic and commotion. As the guards dragged the scrambling man away, Suwon stood still. Blood slowly dripped down her fingers and onto the wooden floor, but she could not be bothered to acknowledge it. She immediately marched toward the exit and barked orders at the guards to secure the safety of the guests, close any and all castle exits, and move to capture any more dissenters.

“Your Majesty! Urgent news!” a soldier hollered.

Suwon hastened to meet the soldier, who looked as if he had run across the castle grounds and had to catch his breath before speaking another word.

“The intruder wasn’t alone,” he said as he panted.

Suwon’s eyes narrowed. The Fire Tribe port overseer and his crooked, condescending sneer flashed in her mind as she instantly pinned him as a culprit in this attack.

“How many so far?” she asked.

“Three others. They set fire to the food storage sheds, rounded up the caregiver servants and-“

“The princess?” Suwon interrupted.

The soldier froze. His brow furrowed and he turned his eyes away from the intense demeanor of the sovereign before him.

“One of them got away with her,” he finally admitted.

****

 “Your Majesty, get a hold of yourself already!”

As Suwon regained composure, she felt her cheeks twinging and hot. She looked around and saw that she was in her personal sick bay. The fiery head nurse, Nurse Ari, was triumphing over her victory of waking her up with a few light slaps, and Judo was kneeling on the side of the bedding with full armor and a serious composure that spelled certain death for whoever got in his way.

“When did I get here?” Suwon asked quietly.

“An hour ago,” answered Ari. “ You were running around desperately, saying, ‘The princess must be found, the princess must be found!” and then you missed a step on one of the staircases and fell.”

Suwon looked at Judo, who was still not budging, and the situation at hand slowly came to her. While she was out, what had happened? She hoped that it had been taken care of and Judo’s composure was simply a reaction to the close call, but as he finally opened his mouth to talk, she heard his tone shaking.

“The elite troops were sent out momentarily after the original kidnapping. The head palace servant is conducting check-ins for everyone working in the castle. I’m about to finalize search groups for the castle, the interior and exterior vicinities of the city, and the surrounding villages.” He swallowed before continuing, declaring that everyone on the guest list was a suspect and nobody was allowed to leave.

Suwon clenched her fists from the frustration of being unconscious just as the conflict had flared up, though she flinched from the pain throbbing from both of her hands. She looked down and slowly tried stretching her fingers out. The cuts had been cleaned and bandaged, though now she felt humiliated, dreadfully worried, and nauseous.

“General Judo, is the lord of Roden Port still here?” The lord who had first pulled her to the side and posed the question about the _alternative_ royal bloodline just before the attack in the gathering occurred. She had no doubt he was the signal and perhaps even the ringleader.

“I will check right away. What am I to do with him if he’s found?”

Suwon stood and thanked the nurse as she gestured for Judo to follow her outside, and as they walked down the hall with haste, they came up with more plans. 

“General Judo, issue those search groups. You are to stay here and await updates as they come to you. If the lord of Roden is still here, you are to hold him in custody but you are not to instigate him.”

Judo glanced at her and leaned closer to her, demanding in a whisper, “What are you planning then?

Suwon hesitated before answering, “I will form my own party down in Kuuto and await updates on their end.”

With that disclosure, Judo grabbed Suwon by the arm, stopping both of them in their tracks. His eyes were wide with worry, and it appeared as if he would break down at any moment.

Suwon stood up straight and looked her general in the eye. He knew that look all too well, and knew that if she continued on as she pleased without heeding his concern, she would be doing him an unintended injustice. The firm hold he had on her arm loosened, and within seconds his arm fell to the side.

“I couldn’t even see it coming,” he managed to say in a near whisper. “What have I done?”

Suwon shook her head and grazed his cheek with her hand softly. “I am the king of Hiryuu Castle, and I am to blame, as well. Please don’t take the blame alone.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Won, long time no see, you idiot!” Ogi bellowed from the opposite side of the tavern.

Suwon, who was wearing a plain tan colored outfit beneath her overcoat for this undercover mission, zoomed through the space, dodging drunken greetings and hugs, and immediately handed the bag of gold to the underworld lord.

“Wow, would you look at that…” Ogi muttered as he took the gold and stashed it away in an inner pocket. “What’s it for?”

Suwon didn’t waste time explaining. As she quickly explained that an infant had been kidnapped, Ogi and his associates listened with murmurs echoing through the tavern. A woman who smoked a pipe sat on the side spat and clicked her tongue. It had been years since the notorious kidnapping ring had been squashed. The possibility of it reappearing stirred the hearts of not just her, but everybody in the room. Suwon couldn’t reveal that this particular kidnapping happened in the heart of Kuuto—Hiryuu Castle itself. There would be pandemonium.

Ogi scratched his upper chest and coughed before continuing.

“Traits?”

“Short dark brown hair. Four months old. Dark blue eyes,” she paused before blurting, “Very cute!”

“Clothing?”

“…I don’t know.”

Ogi leaned in and whispered, “Is it who I think it is?”

Suwon had to be careful about what she revealed to Ogi. He was street smart and had a very extensive information network. Perhaps he bought the current story of how the princess came to be. Perhaps not. Still, the man knew the severity of the situation.

Nodding, Suwon could only step back and nudge the man further. “You can consider that bag of gold merely a down payment for this task.”

The man grunted and slammed the table. A wide grin and determined expression stretched across his face. Suwon was always in awe of the influence Ogi had over his gang. As soon as he gave an order to get an operation underway, everyone would immediately gather outside. They would appear from all over the district, and sometimes people from other districts gathered as well. Even people who were not associated with the organization would pitch in. It was a spectacle of human might and heart that Suwon loved.

Much like the last time she asked him to do this, people from across the city began gathering, willing to help in the aid of a kidnapped child. Within fifteen minutes, the place was packed. Ogi ordered the search, and the operation began with haste.

Ogi sat beside Suwon, who sat to the side pondering what her next move would be. She could try and get Ogi to close down the exits, as hard of a task that was. However, just as the thought was about to make it to her lips, a man from the inner circle came with a report.

“Won, there’re soldiers litterin’ the whole goddamn city lookin’ for the exact same kid! The hell’s this kid?!” The man sounded drunk.

Suwon perked up. “Where are the soldiers posted?”

“Every exit. Every corn’r is covered. Even the special elite soldiers are placed at ev’ry backway we know of. Damn!”

“Are they hindering the search from our end at all?” Suwon asked.

“No, that scarred general is giving everyone he recognizes from our district a free pass today,” a woman pitched in.

Suwon stood. Perhaps this was the informant that was assigned by Judo. When she questioned how the woman knew that, though, she was disappointed to learn that the beauty was still part of Ogi’s organization.

Suwon thanked the woman for the tip. At least she knew what Judo was doing on his end, with news of the soldier stations and the lengths they were going to. Still, she felt things could be sped up even more with the help of other districts.

Leaving Ogi to operate by himself, Suwon swiftly left and wove through boisterous crowds. Normally, she would wait for Ogi to establish help, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of urgency in doing it herself. While she didn’t know the lords of the other districts as much as Ogi, they all proved helpful in their own right, and it was always better to go in person to ask for their aid.

“Won!”

Suwon heard the voice of a man calling her by her commoner alias. He was waving for her attention, and upon seeing him she recognized him as one of Judo’s men. He was disguised as a commoner to avoid suspicion. Reaching him while panting and regaining composure, she asked him what he had.

What he gave her was a rolled up piece of paper that contained a message. Her eyes stayed glued to it as she read it twice.

“When was this received?” she asked.

“We don’t know. It was discovered in your message box just twenty minutes ago. I tried finding you as soon as I could.”

She crumpled the message in her hand and made haste with the soldier back to the castle grounds. She couldn’t wait for indirect updates between the two of them anymore. Not with this.

_At sunset_

_Meet in shack in Riden town_

_I have her_

_-Princess Yona_

***

Once Judo read that final line, Suwon could see every thought in his mind shut down as the light left his eyes. He shook his head and had a look of confusion after scanning the very short note over and over again. Suwon took it back and rolled it up neatly, looking down grimly.

“Did we overlook something?” Judo asked.

Suwon lifted her head and sighed heavily. Yona had warned her that if she considered her reign a hindrance to the people, she would take matters into her own hands. What had happened and where?

Hold on a minute.

Suwon patted Judo on the shoulder before gliding past him, with Judo quickly following her. She had been so caught up in the contents of that letter that the possibility hadn’t crossed her mind. If that letter was indeed addressed by Yona, it would be a matter of comparison to see if it was a serious threat.

As she quickly opened her chamber doors and opened the bottom drawer of her desk, she pulled out the letter previously sent to her. She laid the two documents next to each other, carefully scanning each one. Judo stood beside her, folding his arms as he narrowed his eyes.

“When did you receive that?” he asked as he pointed to the longer letter.

Suwon held her breath. She avoided looking at him as she answered. “Two and a half months ago. Lili delivered it to me.”

Judo slowly pulled his finger back and released a long, frustrated hum. She was sure to hear an earful from him later, but he seemed to be on the same page as her of comparing the letters, so the bickering was on hold.

“They really don’t look the same,” he commented.

Suwon nodded, biting her finger as she held it close to her mouth. The longer letter was written by Yona. This ransom note was someone completely different. That much was clear.

“Could _Yona_ be in danger, too?” Suwon hesitantly pondered aloud.

Judo clenched his fists and turned back around to leave, with Suwon soon catching up to him. Without another word on the matter, he ordered a group of whispering soldiers gathered at the end of the hall to prepare the best troops. As he began barking out a plan to lead a squadron that, in all honesty, he had not thought through, Suwon interrupted.

“General Judo,” Suwon began, “you are to remain stationed here just in case another coup is attempted within the castle.”

Whipping his head back with wide eyes, Judo stood in silence without saying anything back. Seeing the look in her eyes, which reflected a blazing storm ready to unleash fury, he understood that she had a plan already prepared. That was something about her that always amazed him. He yielded to her and ordered the men to listen to everything the sovereign told them to do.

As the troops gradually made their way to the gathering place, Suwon appeared before them dressed in her casual commoner’s outfit. The nature of their opponent wasn’t known, but to approach the kidnappers with as little intent to fight was the conclusion Suwon came to. She needed to lower the risk as much as she could.

“Keep the troops far enough away that this bastard doesn’t get any ideas about bringing the princess harm,” Judo told Suwon as he helped her mount her horse. “And then,” he continued and turned to his men, “bring whoever it is directly to me.”

The soldiers gulped as their angry general gave them a deadly piercing look. Some became stiff, others’ breath became shallow, and Gyoku was the only one who nodded.

“General Judo, I don’t want anyone punished until I give the approval,” Suwon interrupted with a smile.

Something about Suwon’s smile made the soldiers feel even more sorry for the culprits.

Suwon left a note with an informant to deliver to Ogi for the search to be put on hold. With the sun gleaming in the late afternoon sky, Suwon and the troops made haste as quickly as they could. With any luck, they would make it by sundown.

As Judo looked on as his empress left the grounds, he left a small prayer in his heart for their child’s safe return. He swore if neither of them came back, it would be the end of him . The idea of prostrating himself before the former Princess Yona and asking her to come back after all they had done to her to put her in her position was an idea he did not want to face the possible reality of. The possibility of him succumbing to despair and shame would probably happen first.

“General Judo! Sir!”

Judo turned his attention to Mu-Ah, who held a rolled message in his hand. He had to catch his breath before giving him the message. As Judo took it from his hands and read it, his eyes widened. His hands wrinkled the parchment and he looked onward at the scene unfolding below in the city. Lines at the exits were backed up and the dust that was left behind by Suwon’s party had long since settled.

“When was _this_ received?”

“Just now.”

Without saying another word or giving a single order, Judo dashed past Mu-Ah.

“Wait, General! Please proceed with caution, Sir! General, Sir!”

As he cursed under his breath, he could feel rage coursing through his body. It took every millisecond focusing on how Suwon wanted it handled to keep himself in line as he proceeded down the halls.

***

As they drew closer to the smaller town of Riden, Suwon gave the order for all but Gyoku to stay on standby. The sun was about to set, and the operation was ready to move forward. As soon as the shack was located, they would hone in on it.

“Please be as stealthy as you can. We don’t know who we’re dealing with,” she advised.

Gyoku agreed and parted ways with her. Suwon unmounted her horse and guided it by the reins as she walked through the grounds. Humming in contemplation, she decided to try the simplest route and informed anyone within the vicinity that she had come for the child.

An audible rustling was heard from the left, and as she waited for whatever was there to come out, she reached for her sword and rested her hand upon the hilt. She gripped it and battled with herself on whether to keep it sheathed or draw it. After all, they had involved Yona. Were they simply using her name to further their agenda, or would the former princess herself come out from the shadows? She took her hand away as she found herself too conflicted and chose to pace toward the audible footsteps coming from one of the shacks.

From the shadows appeared a young man wearing a Hiryuu Castle servant uniform, which made her hold her breath as pieces began coming together. Of course, she concluded, this was an inside job.  Was it someone trying to cause a coup of their own? Someone in league with the fire overseer from before? She continued walking forward until she spotted a small bundle in his arms.

“Welcome, Your Majesty!” he beamed. “It’s nice to know you’re the kind of person who honors people’s requests.”

Suwon breathed deeply and faced him without losing composure. “So,” she began, “what are the terms and conditions for this exchange?”

The young man, who really couldn’t have looked more than twenty now that Suwon had studied him more, walked forward and tossed the bundle into the air. Frantically, Suwon dashed for the bundle. However, as she lifted her arms, the man swiftly moved in, drew a dagger, and took a swing at her. Choosing the bundle over dodging, she leaped as her cloak was sliced through.

As soon as she grabbed the bundle, she lost her footing and fell on her behind, all the while guarding the squirming child with one arm and drawing her sword with the other. She bit down on her lip as she fought through the pain of the fall. She couldn’t be bothered to feel if that pain was being caused by a persistent pain from the birth four months prior, but in her position she wasn’t going to let her guard down for a second.

“Oh boy, you weren’t supposed to do that. Not a clean cut at all.”

A cry pierced the silent air as the two froze. It came from the bundle in Suwon’s arms, but something didn’t sound right. As the cry became louder, Suwon felt as if her heart had stopped. She lowered her sword and uncovered the bundle. In the dim light of dusk, she could still see and feel this child. It was small. 

“Tell me before I have to ask you again,” she said, “what are the terms for this exchange?”

“Give the throne to its rightful master. That’s really it,” the young man chimed.

Suwon sat still, feeling her chest sink into a pit of endless twisting, and then she took action. Suwon swung her legs against the side of his knee, causing him to lose his stance. She leaped back upon her feet and drew her sword against his neck. He held both of his hands up in defeat, laughing nervously.  

She heard footsteps and rustling closing in around them. Men in cloaks that she recognized from the attack earlier surrounded them, but more than a third of them were men she recognized as her own. She cursed under her breath as it dawned upon her that this really could be an attempted coup. Had they done away with Gyoku or was he still around, perhaps even part of this? She grit her teeth and glared at the man she still held at her mercy.

“Are you in league with current reincarnation of King Hiryuu?”

“Of course I am. Everyone here is,” he said as he gestured toward the crowd.

“Who is this ‘reincarnation of King Hiryuu’ you speak of?” Suwon pushed on. She, of course, already knew who it was. She needed to know how far Yona was involved, unwillingly or not.

“The daughter of the previous king. The one you ousted so mercilessly. You’ll be punished someday, even if it’s done through your chi—“

Suwon moved the tip of her sword from his neck to his lips and prodded, silencing the young man and prompting the men surrounding her go on the defensive with their own swords. She was truly risking it now, and with so much at stake, she felt that she was way in over her head.

“You seem to think you’re rather funny yourself. However, if you don’t tell me where the _actual_ princess is, I’ll make sure you and your compatriots never have the gall to think so highly of yourselves again.”

The young man emitted a confused utterance. “That _is_ the princess.”

Suwon held back the urge to force her blade through the man’s mouth. “It’ll be less painful for you if you just tell me.”

Suwon felt a twinge of pain as one of the blades pointed at her broke through the fabric of her outfit and pierced the skin of her forearm. She winced but continued standing her ground, pretending she didn’t want to slice the man’s head off. She glanced through the gaps between the men, wondering if any of her remaining men had snuck up during the suspended distraction, but she couldn’t hear anyone or see any movement. The knot in her stomach felt like it could snap at any moment.

 “Hold it right there!” a voice echoed through the grounds.

The men in the circle broke their stances and looked around to find the source of it while the young man wiggled away from Suwon.

Suwon stood frozen. That voice, which rang in Suwon’s memory like a bell, made her breath still and slow. She cradled the infant in her arms and bundled up, trying to calm every nerve in her body.

“What are you doing, causing mayhem in _our_ town, you brats!” the loud, dignified shout of a woman echoed again. It came from one of the roofs of the huts. Citizens began coming out of their homes to check up on the commotion, pointing and murmuring at the group that had revealed themselves.

The young man, who was now safe and standing away from Suwon, spat and demanded to know who they were. Before he could take a single step further, an arrow zoomed through the air and hit his shoulder, causing him to fall back and scream.

“Leave peacefully or get your a—your butts handed to you! First and final warning!”

A few citizens cheered and whistled, while others went back inside to snatch everyday tools just in case they needed them to help fight. It was this commotion, the commotion of determined human beings ready to risk their lives to defend themselves, that brought Suwon back to her senses. She couldn’t zone out at a time like this.

As the group of men charged for the village, Suwon quickly ran away from the crowd and called out for Gyoku, who didn’t answer back. She reached the designated spot that he agreed to wait in hiding at, but he was bound and knocked unconscious.

Suwon grit her teeth as she turned back and came across the scene of the fight. A swordsman with a mask and a big, fluffy fur attachment twirled and swung with perfect accuracy. A light- and long-haired man used his big, expanded right claws to tear his enemies left and right. A green-haired man who had since cut his hair short flew through the air and threw knives at his opponents. Finally, a tall, dark-haired man swung his glaive in all directions, leaving nobody in his track left to stand. It was a scene Suwon had witnessed more times than she wanted to admit in the past several years. It seemed no matter where she went, this group was always there.

The young man who was shot earlier still lay on the ground, holding his hand over his wound. Suwon paced over, ignoring his pleas to spare him as she thrust the tip of her blade into his mouth. She was sure not to make any cuts to his tongue, but the shrieks he made weren’t all too reassuring. She didn’t want to kill him just yet.

“Hold it,” a voice calmly said from behind.

Suwon held the sword still as she glanced over her shoulder. Even though she was seething inside, she was sure her facial expression showed nothing but a blank slate. To show strength in the face of someone who was such a strong ally, yet, such a strong opponent was what she wanted. However, she couldn’t bring herself to put on a strong face given the situation.

“Yona,” she whispered, “did you have something to do with this?” She glanced back at the man she held at her sword’s mercy. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and even wails could no longer escape his throat.

Yona stomped forward and gripped the hilt of Suwon’s sword. She shook her head and told Suwon to take the sword out of the man’s mouth. Surely the man was no longer in a clear state of mind. He was terrified.

“Suwon, listen. There is a lord in the Fire Tribe named An-kor who is a Hiryuu fanatic.” Yona’s tone grew lower and full of frustration as she continued. “He tried making me join him in a coup and even tried to coerce me by putting my group in danger. He is forcing my hand.”

Suwon did not draw her sword back until she heard the rest of the group approaching from behind. She sheathed it and cradled the infant, who had since quieted down. She peered around, looking for any possible men remaining from her party. Were they all part this rebellion? How long had this been going on? She scoffed at herself, realizing that this really was fate coming back to punish her. Not only were her men rebelling against her, but her child was gone. Perhaps the men who had taken her were long gone and this group was merely meant to be a distraction.

She brought the little one close to her chest and gave it soothing shushes and kisses. She glided past Yona and her group, never acknowledging them, and walked around the town, going door to door asking for a spark of fire. Once she found someone willing to lend her their fire, she used it to send a signal flare to see if anyone would come. After waiting a few minutes with nobody showing up, Suwon walked toward the horse she had stationed and guided it by the reins back outward. She needed to find a rope to help her horse guide Gyoku’s horse, as he was still unconscious and would need to be carried.

“Um, Suwon,” the green-haired man said as he cleared his throat.

Suwon slowly turned and faced the green-haired man and allowed him to continue.  Hesitantly, he offered to escort her back to the castle. He couldn’t bear to see a vulnerable lady go off into the night alone. Suwon snorted, laughing softly before declining. She felt nauseous and limp, but she could still slice any coward who dared to attack her in the dark. Though as a favor, Jaeha brought the young culprit who had since lost consciousness to the second horse, conveniently tied up and ready for an arrest. Hopefully Gyoku would be awake by the time he regained consciousness to help Suwon contain him.

As Suwon mounted her horse, wincing from the pain from the earlier fall, she breathed in and shouted her thanks to the group, never looking back. With that, she rode away with the squirming infant in her arms. She felt numb. She was there, yet felt so far away. How could she let this happen under her watch? Where was her own child? Whose child was this? As the little one started whimpering, she held it close. Holding the little one was the only thing keeping her connected at that moment.

It took another three hours after the sun had set for Suwon to reach Kuuto. Things had calmed down, which she found strange. Business was not bustling as usual, and Suwon knew something was wrong. No soldiers were stationed on the outskirts, and Ogi’s operation left behind no signs of ever being in motion. She dropped by the tavern, where she spotted everybody smoking and drinking in silence.

As soon as they spotted her, many welcomed her back and cooed over the new infant, but as she expected, Ogi wasn’t in the talking mood. His men explained that with no further guidance on what to do, he called off the operation himself, though he expected the promised payment regardless. Suwon nodded and thanked Ogi before taking her leave.

Striding through the strangely silence city, Suwon kept her sights on Hiryuu Castle above, wanting to report to Judo what had happened on her end, desperately desiring what report he had to give. The soldiers had all been called back, from the looks of it. Would she reach the grounds of Hiryuu Castle and find a contained situation or a castle in chaos? How many more were part of the rebellion?

As the worries piled up in her mind, she spotted Judo standing at the top of the path she first used to get to the city earlier. She sped up to meet him, and the gap between them became smaller as he ran down to meet her. As he came closer, she could see him holding a baby against his chest and tried going faster before she slipped in the dark and fell to her knees.

“Your Majesty!” Judo shouted as he ran as carefully as he could.

“I’m all right,” Suwon assured him as he drew near. She reached out and touched the infant in his arms.

“She’s right here, Your Majesty,” he paused. “What’s that baby you’ve got there?”

Suwon couldn’t answer back. The words echoed in her head. She couldn’t think straight. Everything that had pent up from the stresses of that week and that day spilt over and she could only cry. It came in waves of uncontrollable compulsions, and she only hoped that the entire castle and city couldn’t hear her. Judo leaned in and wrapped an arm around her, and there they stayed until Suwon could control herself again.


	4. Chapter 4

In the early hours of the morning, before the hints of dawn had surfaced, Suwon got herself ready for an audience with the one Judo found and arrested the previous day. The individual claimed to be the ring leader of this rebellion and had made sure that soldiers under their control had gone with Suwon to further thwart her. This was information Judo was able to gather after a second message containing the whereabouts of the princess had reached him. As he relayed that information to her, she could tell Judo did all he could to avoid doing anything rash. The sheer amount of malice in his eyes and the shakiness in his tone almost tempted her to take him off duty temporarily.

Standing outside the confinement room, Suwon placed her hand on Judo’s armored shoulder, giving him the gesture to wait outside. Placing himself in a standard guard pose, she opened the door and closed it securely behind her to face the suspect.

“…I take it you’re ready to give me an explanation, now that I’m here. Am I right? Nurse Ari?”

The nurse who not even 24 hours before had treated her after the initial shock, sat up and sighed. “Just wanted something exciting to happen and wasn’t disappointed. You truly are resourceful. Truly a remarkable and capable king.”

Suwon clicked her tongue. “How did you get Lord An-kor to participate in this?”

Ari sat and seemed to be contemplating, but Suwon knew she was simply stalling. To be resourceful enough to get a port overseer in on her plan was nothing short of strategic.

“Well,” Ari began, “I come from the town Lord An-kor is overseer of. Everyone there knows how obbessed he is with the Hiryuu myth. It was easy to get him on board.”

Suwon remained composed and moved on. “Your messages were not secretive in the least, so this wasn’t meant to be a serious operation to begin with. Not only were you aiming to waste thousands in resources, but you were willing to stir up a rebellion.”

Nurse Ari didn’t say anything immediately, but Suwon boring a hole into her head with that calm but threatening glare made her give in. “You know, it was only recently that I figured out you were female. Around the time Princess Kaya was born. I just wanted to, y’know, make sure you were still all right for the job.”

Suwon breathed in heavily and tried exhaling out all the tension that had grown inside her as that confession came through. Her glare softened as she opted to show indifference in the face of her identity coming forth.

Stepping further, she asked, “So, was involving not one, but two infants necessary for your crusade? What was the point in involving the other?”

“As if I could seriously put the princess in that much danger. I had one of the wet nurses hand her purple child over.”

Suwon was beginning to understand. A purple child, huh? A child born out of wedlock.

“So, who’s the father? Which lowlife scum from the slums can be proud to call himself the father of a future heir? I’m dying to know the details,” Nurse Ari said in a mocking tone.

Suwon heaved a breath and remained composed, though as soon as she heard the insult hurled against her partner, she decided that the investigation was over. Even if she hadn’t gotten to the bottom of all her intentions, she was finished with her.

“I believe you are misunderstanding the situation you are in, Nurse Ari.” Kidnapping the princess for such trivial things would be worthy of at least a twenty-year sentence, but this woman seemed fully prepared to expose top secrets for mere testing purposes.

“You can’t hide this forever. Just remember that. They’ll find out on their own and then come for your legitimacy.”

Suwon grinned from ear to ear. “Well, having you magically disappear from the picture will stall some time at the very least.”

With a quick breath from the nurse, followed by a quick clamp of her mouth, Suwon summoned Judo. The matter was taken care of swiftly as Judo shackled the nurse and took her away. It was not a moment too late for Suwon’s tastes. She needed to find the nurse who had her baby taken away from her. She also needed to contact the family of Nurse Ari to tell them their wife and mother had tragically fallen in the recent rebellion.

***

The moon had long risen as dusk settled. After going back to Ogi and settling a payment that afternoon, she went straight to the princess and took her with her to one of the castle roofs. Looking up at the full moon, she smiled as she realized how lucky she had been.

_For your child’s sake, be careful._

That warning ripped through her heart with the occurrence of the kidnapping. Did it matter that she had pulled Kouka from the shattered ground it had been in five years ago? If it was revealed she had been keeping a secret like this, would it cause a big enough stir among the nobles to cause an even bigger backlash? Or would it not matter on the grand scale and only irk the few? What about those who desired to see Yona on the throne? Would she eventually agree to work with them if she found her job to be insufficient for her tastes?

“Enjoying the moon tonight, Miss King?” Zeno cheerfully beamed from behind, making Suwon jolt in surprise.

“How long-?!”

Zeno held his finger up to his mouth, gesturing her to be quiet. He took a seat on the top of the roof and decided to bask in the moonlight before continuing on with his business.

“Kaya was nearly kidnapped, Zeno hears,” he said in all seriousness.

Suwon held her closer, turning to face Zeno. She shot him back a look that was just as serious.

“I don’t trust you,” he admitted, cutting all childishness out of his visit.

“It won’t happen again,” she assured, “I will make sure of it.”

Zeno shrugged and stood, whistling as he took his leave. Though whether he would be completely gone was out of the scope of Suwon’s knowledge. Perhaps the Yellow Dragon would stick around until Kaya was a certain age. If a chipper, yellow-haired servant was spotted around the castle from that point on, Suwon would actually feel more confident in Kaya’s safety.

Ten minutes passed by before Suwon heard someone clacking on the roof from the side and spotted Judo coming closer this time. She welcomed him, giving him the princess as he sat down next to her. They both sat in silence momentarily before Suwon broke it.

“As you know, I received a letter from Yona earlier.”

She could hear Judo hold his breath, though he said nothing.

“She had a warning for me. That if she found one spec of decay, she would challenge me. Looks like this recent kidnapping exposed a possible problem that could even force Yona to get involved.”

Judo rocked Kaya back and forth, still saying nothing. Suwon found it a little unnerving when he did this. He was usually so verbal about his anger, fears, and concerns.

Suwon had to admit it. After all these years, she finally understood the fear King Il had felt for Yona’s safety. She couldn’t understand why a king would dare to keep their child away from the knowledge of the world and keep her secluded within castle walls. Now she understood. She understood so well. All she could do was give her fake laugh, dreading the thought of discovering more and more she had in common with the unforgettable king.

“…You wanted to provide for the country,” Judo finally added, “better than what King Il had done. That includes providing better for our daughter, now doesn’t it?”

Suwon looked up at the moon, contemplating what her next decision would be. Between the lingering desires to put “the reincarnation of King Hiryuu” on the throne and those similar to the nurse who wanted to challenge her power as a woman, she found herself facing tough decisions. Looking at her child and then up at her general, she nodded.

“General Judo, if I decided to go through another coronation as a woman, do you think this could be prevented from happening again, if even a little?”

Judo’s eyes filled with worry, more so for what fate that foretold for his empress. If she revealed herself, he knew she would need to try even harder than she had before to prove herself. No matter how much she had done, it would be almost as if she were a new ruler to skeptics.

“Are you planning on doing that for sure, or is it hypothetical?” he asked.

Suwon hummed and looked down. This was something she would need to sit on for a while before making any hasty decisions. The matter of people wanting Yona on the throne merely for being the reincarnation of Hiryuu was much more pressing to her. Yona had confirmed herself that she was being forcibly involved in the conflict, and Suwon had to find a way to sort through the tension.

Looking back up at the sky, Suwon smiled and went back to the subject of revealing herself. “If I ended up doing that, I guess that would make you the King Consort officially, huh?”

 “I’m too used to ‘General,’” he quickly blurted.

Suwon laughed and laid back. Surely there were people within the castle just like Ari who suspected that she was really the one who gave birth to the princess. Perhaps she would start out small with the highest ranked servants and guards. If any of them suddenly had a problem with it, she was ready to sweep all their doubts away, just as she did when she first succeeded in her coup five years ago.


	5. Epilogue

“Left, right, left, up, right, down, and lunge!”

_CLING!_

A high pitched grunt escaped the girls’ mouth as she fell backward onto her back, panting and holding her wrist in pain. She sat up, wincing as she tried reaching for her weapon.

“Are you all right?” Suwon asked as she held her hand out.

“I just hurt my wrist with that last move. Can we call it a day, please?”

Suwon held her daughter’s wrist gently, carefully surveying any possible damage, telling her to go straight to the infirmary if it continued to hurt.

As the wind settled down, and with it the dust, the sovereign and the princess parted ways. However, before they reached a point where they probably wouldn’t see each other for the rest of the day, Suwon called for her.

“Kaya! Make sure you tell your father about your wrist! He’ll want to know before you begin your actual defensive training next week!”

“Yes, Lord Mother!” the 7-year old princess chirped.

A certain yellow-haired servant approached the girl, smiling and cheering her on as she rushed to her next lesson in courtroom dancing. The young-looking man approached Suwon in a hushed tone.

“If she’s hurt her wrist, she shouldn’t be engaging in anything that agitates it for the next couple of weeks,” Zeno advised.

Suwon nodded, taking note of his concern.

“Your Majesty, a messenger has arrived from Saika,” a guard reported.

Suwon thanked him and headed straight for the throne room where the messenger was waiting. As she gathered her thoughts on what had been happening in the Fire Tribe as of late, she prepared to talk with a member of Saika’s house. Time manages to do wild things, and though relations with the Fire had improved, anything could happen to disturb it.

“Now then, Representative Tae-Jun,” Suwon said as she entered the room and closed the doors, “to what do we owe this visit?”

Tae-Jun quickly stood, bowing before her. In all his years of being a General Representative, Kan Tae-Jun had shaped up to be one of the most honorable men in the nation. Surely without his help, the Fire Tribe wouldn’t have recovered from decades of wealth disparity and resource depletion. Of course, for years she was reluctant to admit that it was Yona who inspired him, but really, there was no sense in this silent rivalry twelve years later.

Yona had once warned her that she would come for her if she spotted her reign decaying, but she dared to think after these seven short years, Yona was exercising her own authority to, dare she say, help her. As these things circled in her mind, she tuned into Tae-Jun’s report.

“There’s a faction in the Fire Tribe that is calling for your overhaul. Again,” he said nervously.

Eversince the small rebellion, those following Lord An-kor, as well as those who sympathized with him, had shown up and stirred trouble in the Fire Tribe. It had proven detrimental to a land otherwise on the path to recovery. Suwon had to be wise in how she decided to go about dealing with these groups. As long as they didn’t cause an uproar, they were free to believe what they wanted. Suwon knew, however, that words could eventually turn into action. It only took time.

Here Tae-Jun was, probably wondering how his sovereign would advise him should that situation arise. It would be unfortunate if relations between the Sky and Fire soured because of it. How would she handle those people, if her competence as a ruler still wasn’t enough?

“Have you come in contact with Yona recently about this problem?” she inquired.

“I couldn’t possibly. She recently gave birth and the group is currently on the down low. I’m afraid this is in Your Majesty’s hands,” he frantically informed her.

Suwon recalled An-kor’s question about the succession of the throne. It was probably a wise idea on Yona’s part to keep herself in hiding for the time being.

“I,” Tae-Jun continued, “I actually want to arrange a meeting with some key figures in the movement with Your Majesty. Your Majesty has a way with words that neither I nor Kyo-Ga have.”

It was a possibility. Her goal wasn’t to start internal strife this far into her reign. She couldn’t leave everything in Yona’s hands when it came to the dragon gods. After agreeing to Tae-Jun’s proposal, she saw him off and watched him depart from castle grounds. She had some work to get done, and preparing a way to snuff this little hurdle out was important.

“Your Majesty!” Judo shouted from the end of the hall. “Princess Kaya was caught trying to sneak to the city below!”

Again? Suwon laughed, which brought that ever familiar scowl to the general’s face. All right, all right. Before that, she would need to go over the basic safety rules of sneaking out to Kuuto with her daughter. She was the expert when it came to that.


End file.
